I breaks my heart to see how the food industry has most of our population fooled on the truth behind what's really going into our mouths.
As many of us are trying to clean up our diets and start incorporating exercise to hop on this bandwagon of living a healthy lifestyle that seems to continue growing, these food chains are using their well thought out marketing strategies to make us believe false statements and give into unhealthy ways without even realizing it. It's sick and SO wrong.
There are so many "rumors" constantly being spread on what to eat, what not eat, what is best for weight loss, the truth about gluten free... blah blah blah!
In today's world how is one single person supposed to figure out what the best food really is to eat and what isn't? Once healthy foods are now secretly being made unhealthy by these large companies by adding ingredients consumers don't understand. This leads to assumption they are GOOD for us because the front of the box or package says "natural", "sugar free", "fat free", etc.
Though I could go on a 25 page rant on how I feel about the food industry today, i'll simply identify 10 food labels that are EXTREMELY harmful that we should ALL avoid. This is at least a step in the right direction, right??
The 10 Worst Ingredients In Food
1. Artificial Colors
Artificial colors are used to enhance the color of the food and make it look a lot more appealing, but these colors host a rainbow of risks: some of them have been linked to various health issues, such as allergic reactions, fatigue, asthma, skin rashes, hyperactivity, headaches, and they are also linked to various types of cancers.
Artificial colors are found in many processed foods, such as candies, beverages, pet foods, baked goods, cereals and even medications. Here are some of the most common food colors used today: Blue #1 (Brilliant Blue), Blue #2 (Indigo Carmine), Citrus Red #2, Green #3 (Fast Green), Red #3 (Erythrosine), Red #40 (Allura Red), Yellow #5 (Tartrazine) and Yellow #6 (Sunset Yellow). Always read the product label to see whether it contains artificial colors, so you know to avoid these foods.
2. Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
MSG has been under the cautious eye for at least a year now... but why? It is a processed flavor enhancer that can be found in Chinese food, restaurant food, salad dressing, chips, crackers, sausages, processed meats, dips, frozen meals, soups and more. It has been linked to various health issues, such as: brain damage, liver inflammation, learning disabilities, obesity, headaches, nausea, asthma, change in heart rate and various other diseases.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THIS 3 LETTER DEATH STATEMENT.
3. Artificial Preservatives
There are various types of preservatives which prevent spoilage and food poisoning and prevent mold growth. The intent of preservative use is well-meaning, because they prevent botulism, mold and bacteria, which gives products a longer shelf life and protect people from illness, however many preservatives have dangerous side effects and are potentially carcinogenic, can cause hyperactivity, hormonal changes, liver damage, nervous system damage and many other health problems.
Wonder why ADD & ADHD symptoms seem to continue rising?
When you read the label, look for butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), sodium benzoate, potassium bromat (typically used as a flour improver E924). Also sodium nitrates and sodium nitrites are another preservatives which are added to processed and cured meats to preserve color and extend shelf life (your hot dogs for example). Unfortunately, these compounds can be converted to nitrosamines, which are potentially carcinogenic chemicals.
4. Artificial Flavors
These are chemical mixtures that imitate natural flavors. You can find them in artificially flavored jellies, soft drinks and candies. These are made of a similar taste base, but have dramatically different flavors due to the use of different scents or fragrances. Many artificial flavorings are derived from petroleum, and most artificial flavors actually contain many chemical ingredients, not just one, and many of those chemicals are volatile. For example: brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is primarily used to boost flavor and help emulsify citrus-flavored soft drinks.
Artificial flavors have been linked to brain and nervous system damage, cancer, nausea, headaches, dizziness, allergic reactions, dermatitis, eczema, hyperactivity, asthma and much more.
5. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
This is a cheaper alternative to cane and beet sugar, and in the United States it is among the sweeteners that have primarily replaced table sugar in the food industry. Due to US-imposed tariffs in the United States sugar prices are two to three times higher than in the rest of the world, which makes HFCS significantly cheaper, so that it is the principal sweetener used in processed foods and beverages. It is commonly used in breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soft drinks, soups and condiments.
Critics of the extensive use of HFCS in food manufacturing argue that the highly processed substance is more harmful to humans than regular sugar. Also many health concerns have been linked to HFCS, which potentially contributes to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
6. Artificial Sweeteners
These include aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, acesulfame-K and more. These are chemical food additives that duplicates the effect of sugar in taste with less food energy. They are anywhere from 30 to 8,000 times sweeter than sugar and as a result, they have much fewer calories than foods made with table sugar. Many sugar substitutes have zero calories per gram. They are found in diet foods and diet products to reduce calories per serving.
They have been associated with a negative impact on metabolism, and some have been linked to obesity,
IBS, brain damage, cancer, headaches, dizziness and hallucinations.
7. Trans Fat
Trans fat enhance the flavor, texture, and shelf life of many processed foods. These are formed when manufacturers turn liquid oils into solid fats via a process called hydrogenation. It has also been claimed that a high intake of trans fats may have a direct association with prostate cancer in men. Also many commercial brands of soybean oil are often hydrogenated to help increase their shelf life, and more than half of all soybeans crops grown in the US are genetically-modified (GMO).
Also pay attention to a fat substitute that adds no fat, calories or cholesterol to products such as baked and fried goods and is called olestra. Although it may sound good to you, olestra may cause abdominal cramping, loose stools and inhibiting the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients. Olestra is unapproved for sale in many countries, including the European Union and Canada, but products containing the ingredient can still be purchased at grocery stores in some countries.
8. Refined Grains
A refined grain is made by processing a natural, whole grain so that some or most of the nutrients are lost. When a whole grain is refined, both the bran and germ are removed, including all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Refined grains are also easy to digest and increase your blood sugar and insulin levels, which can lead to all sorts of health problems. Replace processed grains with whole grains, like brown or wild rice, wholemeal pasta, whole-wheat breads, barley and oatmeal.
9. Sugar
Did you know the average American consumes almost 80g of sugar per day??? Do you know much we are SUPPOSED to have? 30 grams. THIRTY!!! That is almost triple our daily recommended serving. A single individual consumes close to 60 pounds of sugar in a year, and we are wondering why obesity is sky rocketing and diabetes is the NUMBER 1 medical issue today.
Sugar can be found not only in obvious foods such as cookies, cakes, sodas, soft drinks and other sweets. Sugar can be found even in pasta sauce, salad dressing and canned vegetables. So when reading food labels, look for sugar listed as the first ingredient and be aware of hidden sugar names: fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, glucose, dextrose.
Eating lots of sugary foods are more likely to cause you to gain weight. Research shows that being overweight or obese increases your risk of cancer. This is because obesity may cause changes in hormone levels or insulin that might increase the risk of developing breast, colon or uterine cancer. Therefore limiting the amount of sugar in your diet is important. Diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates can lead to overweight and obesity, which indirectly increases cancer risk over time.
10. Salt (Sodium Chloride)
Sugar can be found not only in obvious foods such as cookies, cakes, sodas, soft drinks and other sweets. Sugar can be found even in pasta sauce, salad dressing and canned vegetables. So when reading food labels, look for sugar listed as the first ingredient and be aware of hidden sugar names: fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, glucose, dextrose.
Eating lots of sugary foods are more likely to cause you to gain weight. Research shows that being overweight or obese increases your risk of cancer. This is because obesity may cause changes in hormone levels or insulin that might increase the risk of developing breast, colon or uterine cancer. Therefore limiting the amount of sugar in your diet is important. Diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates can lead to overweight and obesity, which indirectly increases cancer risk over time.
